Shane Connolly holding a bouquet he designed the day before. It was all hand-wired.

The class was different than I expected but I enjoyed it. Shane was very gracious and encouraging with his feedback to each of us. We designed tablescapes using seasonal plants and flowers in a variety of containers and vases. He walked us through his process as he would design for guests even in his own home. A large part of the demonstration was selecting your base color (i.e. your linens) which can drastically alter the final look and mood of your setting.

Pairing a light green linen against the containers.

Pairing a darker green linen with the flowers. It definitely changes the mood and feel of the setting.

Shane’s final table setting. Simple and elegant.

Shane working on table #2 with purples & oranges.

Shane paired several lines with this table including this orange one.

This charcoal, textured linen gives the table a much different feel, almost formal.

Shane’s final table.

We all began with the same containers and our choice of similar plants and flowers but each of the students obtained a vary different result. It was interesting to understand the reasons and background for each person’s choices and designs.

A peak inside FlowerSchool NY. We all had identical place settings and materials.

The materials I selected for my table. It was the week of St. Patrick’s so of course we had lots of shamrock to choose from including these two varieties.

Our selection of plants and flowers.

Orange shamrock.

Shamrock

The table I designed.

Tina Riddell of Living Fresh working on her table design.

Tina Riddell’s final table design.

Another student’s table. Total different look!

FlowerSchool NY

Hand-wired bouquet by Shane Connolly on display at FlowerSchool NY

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Shane Connolly speak and share his knowledge and experience. He was gracious and kind and made each of us feel important. And yes, I brought ALL my plants and containers home with me on the plane just a few hours later. I sadly donated my beautiful bouquet (created earlier in the week) to a bell-hop at the hotel for his “someone special”…I sincerely hope there was one ’cause it was gorgeous. Another thing that I hope for is that I never run into any of you at an airport after one of my flower trips. It’s embarrassing because I have flowers, plants, vases, and supplies jammed into every bag, carry-on, purse, pillow, box, and suitcase I can get away with. The nice airline man did make me check an extra bag this time. Bummmer. BUT my fresh poppy pods survived the trip home through freezing conditions, delayed flights, and hazardously small airplane seats for one lucky bride. Shew, I gotta re-think my shopping sprees. Or not. They’re awesome. 🙂

Back to Shane Connolly. Meeting him was awesome and I’m thankful for the opportunity to study under him.